The site is located at the foot of Mt. Rokko. On the north of the site there are beautiful mountains and on the south side there is Seto Inland Sea. So that it is typical Seto Inland Sea type climate. It is hot in summer, it is relatively warm in winter. The site is a slope where there is a mountain behind to the north and national forest at further north of the mountain.
On the site flat part is small because of the slopes. On the north side many trees have grown exuberantly on the mountain behind the site. We designed the house to preserve the natural green environment as much as possible. We designed to fit small footprint of basement, and floor space of the 1st floor and the 2nd floor are stepwise increase. Therefore the house can coexist with the nature without damage to the trees on the north mountain.
We had to achieve that client family can ensure their privacy and that they can enjoy the nature at the same time. So we designed a space where the sea and the mountain directly connect each other by sliding tunnel-like tube with segmented into four layers. Therefor the tunnel-like tube works as ‘brise-soleil’
The four layered ‘brise-soleil’ can shade from strong sunshine in summer and late afternoon sun, and can take in indirect sunshine which is reflected by the light shelf to bring brightness into rooms inside. Additionally fresh air from supply air sleeve of basement is cooled by cool cement and is flowed into each room via stair hall via stair hall. And the air is warmed by each room. The warmed air is exhausted by the heat exhauster window and the fan with temperature sensor at top part of the ‘brise-soleil’.
In winter low-height sunshine passes into each room through gap of the layered ‘brise-soleil’, accumulate the heat into cement slab on the floor. If client family uses floor panel heating system just as subsidiary system, they can have a comfortable life with less air-conditioning facilities.
The ‘brise soleil’ gives not only framed beautiful scenery into each room but also shade function from the other line of sight. Additionally the ‘brise soleil’ can be physically adjusted (e.g. each layer can be slid as you like) for many purposes. So client family can enjoy various change of atmosphere in accordance with season, time and so on. They can also enjoy fresh air from any direction into any rooms in every season and time because they can open the apertures without any concern for their privacy.
Client family would have a nice life with feeling nature at the house. They would enjoy beautiful and fresh scenery of both sea and mountain for all seasons because they can naturally see Seto Inland Sea and the mountain through the layered ‘brise soleil’. They would enjoy brilliant sea and beautiful night scenery, too.
